How to Help a Cat Settle Into a New Home

Moving to a new home is a stressful experience for people, but it is even more so for a cat. Cats are smart, sensitive animals and they often need time and patience when getting settled in a new home. These animals are very territorial, and a new home can be scary and threatening to them because they do not realize it is their new territory. Fortunately, you can help your cat get settled easily in a new home.

Instructions

    • 1

      Reduce the number of new changes your cat experiences for the first few days. Don't change your cat's food, kitty litter brand and or even the type of kitty litter box he uses. His new home is a already a major change in his life and anything else new might be too much for him to handle.

    • 2
      Give your cat a stress-free environment in the new home.

      Put your cat in a quiet, private place for a few days. This will give your cat a stress-free environment where it can adjust to the new sights, smells and sounds of the home without distractions. Place the cat's food, water, kitty litter box and toys in the room so it doesn't have to leave the room to find them.

    • 3

      Avoid handling the cat too much. If the cat is a new addition to your family and home, pet it gently and talk softly but avoid picking it up. Let the cat get used to you first so it learns to trust you.

    • 4

      Bring your cat to the new home when it is quiet. If you are moving into a new house, don't bring the cat to the home the first day of the move when people are moving things around and making noise. If possible, wait until the everything is moved in and things are quiet before introducing your cat to the new home.

    • 5

      Introduce the cat to any new family members one person at a time. Meeting many unfamiliar people at once can scare or overwhelm the cat. Let the cat interact with each new person one-on-one before introducing it to someone else.

    • 6

      Allow your new cat to smell other cats already living in the home before meeting them. If you are introducing a new cat to a home that already has a cat, confine the original cat to a room while allowing the new cat to roam around and smell the other cat. This will keep it from being surprised and defensive when it finally meets the other cat.